Plan to retain league players

THE World Cup might encourage senior players to sign up for rugby league but QRL Northern Division has called on clubs to help give them games.

The CDRL suffered an alarming lack of numbers in 2017 and a particularly embarrassing proportion of forfeits in the under-19 division.

QRL Northern Division manager Scott Nosworthy said he hoped clubs would work together to move forward in the best interests of the game and called on participants to offer suggestions on what motivated them to stay on the field.

While many point the finger at the move to under-19s for the drop in numbers, Nosworthy said numbers from under-17 to under-19 were up on the previous season, but the CDRL and CDJRL are set to discuss a move back to under-18s following upcoming AGMs this month.

Townsville and Mackay are moving to under-17 for juniors and under-19 for seniors in 2018.

“In an ideal world we’d have all 11 clubs and they all have under-19, second division, reserve and A-grade, but not every club can do that,” Nosworthy said.

“We’re trying to create an environment where all clubs survive and all of them have at least three teams.”

Nosworthy said he hoped the World Cup support in Cairns was a marker for the enthusiasm for the game and a possible numbers renewal from a 2017 “anomaly”.

CDJRL chairman Ian Lydiard said next year’s format certainly be discussed, but was in favour of letting the current system settle in before rushing to change it again.

Although some are more pessimistic than others about the state of rugby league in the Far North, Lydiard said he felt there were big things ahead for the game as a whole.

“It’s an exciting time for rugby league. There’s a groundswell that something big is happening, but no one can really put their finger on it,” he said.

QRL Northern Division is in the throes of finalising a plan to engage more players in Cape communities in organised rugby league, expected to be announced early in 2018.